0:00:02 > 0:00:06Theft of public money costs the UK taxpayer over £20 billion a year.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09This case was one of the biggest we've ever had,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12it came in to the region of about £500,000.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15This is money which should be going into the public pot,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17to spend on essential services.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20The victims in this case are the public,
0:00:20 > 0:00:25and the money could have been used to build schools or fund hospitals.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28And there are specially trained investigators making sure
0:00:28 > 0:00:30that justice is served.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32The system cannot be beaten,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35they will be held to account at some point.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40In this series we meet the men and women across the UK committed
0:00:40 > 0:00:44to catching criminals who steal from you and me -
0:00:44 > 0:00:47the British taxpayer.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50But we also hear stories from people who genuinely need
0:00:50 > 0:00:51help from public money.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55I'd swap places tomorrow with him if it meant he could walk.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58I just didn't know where to turn or what to do.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03And sometimes they don't even realise they're entitled to it.
0:01:03 > 0:01:08I just thought I'm one of them lowlifes who's had an addiction.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11We were lending money off so many people
0:01:11 > 0:01:15because we just had no other way of paying the bills.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Coming up - the ruthless charity bosses who ripped off
0:01:22 > 0:01:26the savings of vulnerable adults they were meant to be helping.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31This is the worst kind of theft I think I've come across in 40 years.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33It's left a scar on everybody.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39A woman fraudulently claims almost £100,000 of public money.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42That money will be recovered,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44but it is a massive loss to the public purse.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48And the remarkable achievement of one young girl after her
0:01:48 > 0:01:50parents fought to get help.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53I don't think she'd be as happy, independent,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57loving, content...if she hadn't have gone there.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09The Economic Crime Unit at Lincolnshire Police deals with
0:02:09 > 0:02:13some of the most complex taxpayer frauds the country's ever seen.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Cheques, cheques, cheques.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18It's a quiet backwater that I think a lot of fraudsters come back to,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22and we do get quite a high volume of fraud coming through the force.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27And one particularly big case the unit's recently investigated
0:02:27 > 0:02:29is that of Peter and Alison Childs.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Mr and Mrs Childs were in an amazing position of trust,
0:02:34 > 0:02:40and these are the type of people who put a huge amount of trust in them.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43So what happened was absolutely disgraceful.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48It involved an allegation of theft of taxpayers' cash
0:02:48 > 0:02:50and benefit money from vulnerable adults.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55I can't believe the scale of it, and actually,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59if we'd had more time, goodness knows what we could have unearthed.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07The case first came to light in September 2011.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13It started as a report from Lincolnshire County Council
0:03:13 > 0:03:17to the police, following a whistle-blowing letter that
0:03:17 > 0:03:22had been sent to them by an anonymous person.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24The letter concerned a small charity,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Lincoln and District Mencap.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Based in the centre of rural Lincolnshire,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32they helped local disadvantaged people.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Now, they're not affiliated to the Royal Mencap Society,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40but they are one of the 400 organisations that help
0:03:40 > 0:03:43adults with learning disabilities.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45It basically said that Alison and Peter Childs,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49who were the main people at Lincoln and District Mencap,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53had been taking money in the form of cash given over to them
0:03:53 > 0:03:58by the service users they were supposed to provide a service for.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01The service the charity offered was to help adults with
0:04:01 > 0:04:03learning disabilities manage their benefits
0:04:03 > 0:04:06so they could run their finances.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Obviously you have to tread carefully,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12because whistle-blowing letters can be malicious
0:04:12 > 0:04:14and I wasn't entirely sure what I was faced with.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19Peter Childs had set up the charity in 1987
0:04:19 > 0:04:23and Alison started working there after they were married.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26This was a functioning charity that supported quite
0:04:26 > 0:04:28a lot of vulnerable people in Lincolnshire,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31and that service was still being provided,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34but the first thing I did was I got John Hopkinson involved,
0:04:34 > 0:04:40who's a financial investigator and a bit of an expert in that field.
0:04:41 > 0:04:48All of the service users were on state benefit one way or another.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Mostly disability allowances.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57So all of the money that was coming in to Mencap was actually
0:04:57 > 0:05:01public money from the Department for Work and Pensions.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09The first allegation that John was made aware of was regarding
0:05:09 > 0:05:10the payment of utility bills.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14They collected cash off them
0:05:14 > 0:05:18every week to pay their utility bills for them.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20And it was quite clear from looking at
0:05:20 > 0:05:23the service users' utility bills,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26and the amount of money that was being taken off them,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30that too much was being taken off them.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Actually...£40 this time.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36One of the witnesses at the charity told us that this money was being
0:05:36 > 0:05:40placed into an envelope system every Monday morning
0:05:40 > 0:05:44and then either Mr or Mrs Childs was taking it home.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48And it seemed they were using it for their own general day-to-day living.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51But obviously we had a mountain to climb in terms of finding out
0:05:51 > 0:05:53exactly what was going on.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00DC McGill and John Hopkinson needed to check the allegation that
0:06:00 > 0:06:03more money than necessary was being taken to pay the utility bills.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07We couldn't go any further until we'd spoken to them to see
0:06:07 > 0:06:11if there was a genuine reason this cash was being taken,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14so we interviewed Alison Childs first,
0:06:14 > 0:06:18and she told us that her husband, Peter Childs,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22was in fact taking lots of separate amounts of cash in an
0:06:22 > 0:06:24envelope system - as described by the witnesses -
0:06:24 > 0:06:28and he was taking this home on a weekly basis.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32He was using the excuse that these payments
0:06:32 > 0:06:36were for an honorarium for his various roles within the society.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39An honorarium is a one-off payment for something you wouldn't
0:06:39 > 0:06:43ordinarily receive a payment for, so chief executive,
0:06:43 > 0:06:47financial director, secretary and chairman.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Four different roles, four different honorariums.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53It's also worth mentioning that he did receive pay as well.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Having listened to the explanations of both
0:07:00 > 0:07:07Mr and Mrs Childs, I concluded that this honorarium was just an excuse,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10and it's tantamount to theft.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16To my mind, they looked like they were just pocketing all of the cash.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20But the police needed hard evidence,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24so they obtained warrants to search the charity's office as well
0:07:24 > 0:07:27as the main house and holiday home of Alison and Peter Childs.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Interestingly enough,
0:07:31 > 0:07:32on the three premises we searched
0:07:32 > 0:07:34we didn't find a single bank statement
0:07:34 > 0:07:38relating to any of the four business accounts that we
0:07:38 > 0:07:40knew Lincoln and District Mencap held.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43It certainly raised suspicions, because I would
0:07:43 > 0:07:46expect for a business to see folders with bank accounts.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49They had admitted in interview that they didn't use
0:07:49 > 0:07:52internet banking, so I would think it was pretty strange.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Plus staff members at the outset had told us
0:07:54 > 0:07:56there had been a lot of shredding going on.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01We were concerned that these bank accounts had been shredded.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03There were no bank statements,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05but there were audited business accounts.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07When I looked at the balance sheets
0:08:07 > 0:08:10and I couldn't find any documentation to support
0:08:10 > 0:08:16the figures on the balance sheet, it was clearly...clearly wrong.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22The people the Childs were stealing money from were locals
0:08:22 > 0:08:26like Darren Leek, who'd come to rely on their services as real support.
0:08:28 > 0:08:34If I'd got a problem or a health problem or whatever, he always
0:08:34 > 0:08:39listened to me and understood me, you know,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42about the house and whatever.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Darren has learning difficulties and is blind in one eye.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51His mother Janet was surprised
0:08:51 > 0:08:55when he said he wanted to move into a flat on his own 23 years ago.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57BOTH: Hello!
0:08:57 > 0:08:59It was a real big moment.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03We took Darren down, we got this flat really nice for him.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- You all right? - Yes, thank you.- Give us a hug.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- Big hugs, as always.- Yes.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13'I thought all night Darren would ring to say,'
0:09:13 > 0:09:16"I want to come home." I never slept.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19But rang him next morning, he was right as rain. Loved it.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21And I couldn't believe it.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Like others who used the charity, Darren would pay money directly to
0:09:26 > 0:09:30them in cash and they would use it to sort out all his utility bills.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37Darren was lucky that his mother also kept an eye on his finances.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40After a while, she began to have her suspicions.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44For a few years it worked quite well,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48then they started cutting down what it covered.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Things went, and he was paying the same money
0:09:52 > 0:09:56but it was covering less utility bills.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59He had to pay some himself, they gradually knocked it down,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01so it seemed quite expensive.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Eventually Janet and her husband stepped in to help their son.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11When Darren first started doing direct debits, he was
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- a lot, lot better off. - Yes, he was, yes.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18We knew exactly what he was spending
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and he had extra money to save for holidays.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23He did, that's right.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Paying by direct debit meant the money wasn't going
0:10:28 > 0:10:30through the charity.
0:10:30 > 0:10:36A lot of the youngsters hadn't got parents, and to me,
0:10:36 > 0:10:41that was sort of who they targeted, financially.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45We're lucky, we got a lucky escape really.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Cos so many of them have lost so much money.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52- OK then.- OK, luvvie, bye.- Bye. - Talk to you at eight.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Later, the police still have a long way to go to prove that
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Alison and Peter Childs are guilty.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08Now, it's only a tiny minority of charitable organisations
0:11:08 > 0:11:09which break the rules.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Other local charities are a real lifeline.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Like any expectant parent, Shirley Moran was full of hope
0:11:18 > 0:11:21and excitement about the arrival of her first child.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25I had a really healthy pregnancy.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27I didn't even have morning sickness.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Everyone at work said I looked blooming.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Everything was great.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34No complications at all.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38But when it came to the birth, things didn't go to plan.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46It was failed ventouse, failed forceps,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50and then it ended up in an emergency caesarean section.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54It was a 30-hour labour.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58I was physically drained throughout the labour, and I was scared.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01At the end someone who saw me
0:12:01 > 0:12:04said that my body was actually trembling with the trauma
0:12:04 > 0:12:06at the end of the birth on the bed.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Shirley gave birth to a girl, and called her Ava.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15It was quite a lot of panic, I didn't really know what was going on.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19I just remember, I saw her briefly and she was whisked away.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Later found out that she'd had a fit after she was born
0:12:23 > 0:12:28and she'd gone into shock, and she'd been put into a self-induced coma
0:12:28 > 0:12:30to reduce the swelling on the brain.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33It didn't seem to affect me in the beginning -
0:12:33 > 0:12:36I was just so happy that she was alive.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44But an MRI scan of Ava's brain when she was two days old
0:12:44 > 0:12:47showed that something was wrong on the left side.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Hello, Shirley. How are you? You all right?
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Thank you very much.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55I mean, people talk about instincts and maternal instincts...
0:12:55 > 0:13:01Did you have a feeling with Ava that she had a problem
0:13:01 > 0:13:02from the beginning?
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Because we were lucky enough to have the MRI scan,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08we did know there was something wrong with Ava's brain.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11But the consultant couldn't say what it would mean -
0:13:11 > 0:13:14they couldn't say if she'd walk or talk.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18We didn't know if she'd ever be able to stand or sit unsupported.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20You're being very matter of fact, there,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23but what you're describing sounds incredibly scary.
0:13:23 > 0:13:29Yeah, it was very hard. I suffered a lot of trauma after the birth.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Mentally.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Yeah, it was a really difficult time.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38The first few months after the birth were a little bit of a blur.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42When you try and explain that to people,
0:13:42 > 0:13:47do they understand what a traumatic birth entails, what's involved?
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Mm... Not really.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52It's hard.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57Like, I just kept going to the neonatal unit when she was poorly.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59I just kept functioning.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01It wasn't till she was supposed to reach milestones
0:14:01 > 0:14:03that we noticed that something was wrong.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07She wasn't sitting up, her right hand was always clenched,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11and her head was slightly... always leant to the right.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14I'm trying to imagine how that feels.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17It must have been incredibly difficult to deal with.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23It didn't really sink in until the January after she was born,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25so when she was about six months old,
0:14:25 > 0:14:29that's when I became very depressed about the whole thing.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36It was around this time that Ava was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41I didn't even know what cerebral palsy was.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45It was Ava's physiotherapist who first used the word,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48when she was six months old, diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Before then, I didn't know what it was.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56And everyone who has cerebral palsy's different,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59so it was hard to know what Ava would be like.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01They were offered physical therapy on the NHS
0:15:01 > 0:15:03to help move Ava's arms and legs.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11The occupational therapist used to give things like special cutlery
0:15:11 > 0:15:15and the physiotherapist used to encourage me
0:15:15 > 0:15:17to do, like, messy play with her.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21I didn't even think Ava would walk or talk.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23I was happy she was there and alive,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25but I wasn't positive about her future.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29I didn't know whether she'd ever be independent or happy.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33I was just focused on getting her the best help she could get,
0:15:33 > 0:15:34and therapies.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Shirley found out about a charity which
0:15:38 > 0:15:41specialises in a form of physical education
0:15:41 > 0:15:43which helps children with cerebral palsy.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49And fortunately the main centre for the national institute
0:15:49 > 0:15:52is in Birmingham, which was on their doorstep.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55OK, so you walked through the door.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Talk me through the first contact you had with them.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Ava was crying and I tried to get her to walk,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03holding on to, like, a wooden ladder thing.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06It was really, really hard, the first...
0:16:06 > 0:16:09I'd say at least the first four classes.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Conductive education focuses on learning through physical movement.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19Its aim is to help children to become as independent as possible.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23At first I wasn't sure if this was the place for Ava to come,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27and then as the weeks went on I saw the improvement in Ava.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31She was using her right hand more, she was less frustrated.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34She learnt to sit independently very quickly.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37She was a lot happier coming to the classes.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Having found the right place for Ava,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Shirley now had a battle on her hands
0:16:42 > 0:16:47finding the money to pay for Ava to attend full time.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49I was just amazed that there was a place like that
0:16:49 > 0:16:52so close on my doorstep.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Shirley was determined to get help with the funding.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Eventually, her local authority agreed to cover the costs
0:16:58 > 0:17:02so that Ava could attend four days a week.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06So, you were starting to see the first real signs of progress.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Before long, she could sit independently on a seat
0:17:08 > 0:17:10without anyone helping her.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13That was the first milestone she did there.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Ava was nearly toilet trained - and then it just all got better,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18and easier.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22I think one of the key things with any child with cerebral palsy,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25for example Ava, is that early intervention.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27So, when the child is very young, the families are...
0:17:27 > 0:17:30You're concerned, you're confused,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32you're not sure what to do with the child,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35because they're not, perhaps, the child that you were anticipating.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38So what we can do is provide very early support
0:17:38 > 0:17:40so you can integrate the child into the family,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43give the parents confidence in how to deal with the child,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and that sets the child on a route to development.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54When she was four years old, Ava reached another big milestone.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57I remember collecting Ava from school
0:17:57 > 0:18:01and one of the staff basically said to me, "Watch this."
0:18:04 > 0:18:06And she took a few steps towards me.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11They had their arms, like, in case she swayed, but she took a few steps.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13And I'd been saying to them previous to that, "Will she walk?
0:18:13 > 0:18:15"Do you think she'll ever walk?"
0:18:15 > 0:18:17And they said, "Yes, yes," but I didn't believe them.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22It was something that I never thought I'd see happen,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and I was very proud and happy.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27And this is Ava today, aged eight.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32# And on that farm he had a.... #
0:18:32 > 0:18:38I didn't think Ava would be so independent, and confident, as well.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43I mean, she can cut her own food, use a knife and fork.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47She can cut soft food, she can manipulate her two hands
0:18:47 > 0:18:49to squeeze the toothpaste and have the toothbrush there.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Never thought she'd ever walk up the stairs,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54let alone do it without holding on. Um...
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Putting on her own splints, obviously, and I taught her
0:18:57 > 0:19:02to ride a trike, and she can also ride a normal bike with stabilisers.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Very good, Ava. Good stopping. Slow down.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09At home it's quite hard sometimes to get Ava to do, like, her homework
0:19:09 > 0:19:10and bits and bobs.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14You know, she needs a little bit of encouragement, like most children.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17But at school she's very good.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Because of the praise she's given
0:19:20 > 0:19:24when she achieves doing something, and the encouragement she's given.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27So, I would like to nominate this week a little girl
0:19:27 > 0:19:29who's worked really hard.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33She listened hard in my lesson, and that's Ava.
0:19:36 > 0:19:37Yeah!
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Shall we have a little look?
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Ooh!
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Whose name is that?
0:19:44 > 0:19:51- Well done for working hard this week, and sit...- Settling...
0:19:51 > 0:19:53..settling in school.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58- Wow! Would you like to admire it as well?- Yeah!
0:19:58 > 0:20:01I've been... Take it home!
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Shall we all give Ava a big clap?
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Well done. Very good.
0:20:06 > 0:20:07Come on, little miss.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16- Bye, Ari.- Bye, Ari!
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Ava's very lucky.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21A lot of people, children,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25adults with cerebral palsy don't have such great speech that Ava does.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28William took Mrs...
0:20:30 > 0:20:33..Lacey's dog...
0:20:33 > 0:20:34Moo!
0:20:34 > 0:20:35SHE LAUGHS
0:20:39 > 0:20:41She learnt to sing at conductive education
0:20:41 > 0:20:44before she could actually talk, and then her speech got better.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49# Uh-oh, things you never said to me
0:20:49 > 0:20:53# Uh-oh, tell me that you've had enough... #
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Her music talents are amazing, her singing,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59she picks up a song as soon as she hears it. Really quick.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01That is brilliant!
0:21:04 > 0:21:06And Ava has a circle of friends, too,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09since Mum enrolled her in some clubs.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12- This is on the Brownie holiday. - Oh, she's a Brownie!- Yeah.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14That is brilliant.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16And with something like the Brownies,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18can she take part in everything that's going on?
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Are there any limits to what she can do there?
0:21:21 > 0:21:24She's learnt to finger knit...
0:21:24 > 0:21:27She's learnt a lot of things there, like making crafts and whatnot.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30The only thing she might struggle with is
0:21:30 > 0:21:32if they were playing games that involved a lot of fast
0:21:32 > 0:21:35running and jumping - she'd just be a bit slower.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Ah!
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Oh, there you are.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43So, we've had a rule here that any time Ava needs help,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46she will ask for it - don't push help onto her.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Because she needs to be independent, like any other child.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Last year, in August, she came on a Brownie holiday with us
0:21:52 > 0:21:54for a whole week.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Her mum came with us, but Ava didn't treat her mum as her mum.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Her mum was just one of the other helpers.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03She did everything that all the other girls did.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07We went swimming, we went walking, we made things.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10She had to cook and wash up like everyone else,
0:22:10 > 0:22:11and that was brilliant.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And she's doing that at home now as well.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20There are two sides to this, really.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24There are what the centre has done for Ava,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- and what they've done for you. - Yeah, yeah.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31I'll always be grateful for what they've done.
0:22:31 > 0:22:37I don't think she'd be as happy, independent, loving, content,
0:22:37 > 0:22:38if she hadn't have gone there.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Shirley's wish for her daughter was that she could go to
0:22:42 > 0:22:44a mainstream school.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48And the institute has had such a positive impact on Ava's life,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51that she's started part-time in a primary class,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53and will soon be going full-time.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Don't help me!
0:22:55 > 0:22:59My aim for Ava is to live as happy and independent a life as possible.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02She's had a great start.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05I don't think my life would be as happy either,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07and I'm very proud of her.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12I couldn't wish for a more happy, beautiful,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15confident, independent daughter.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19I never thought it would be possible for her to reach the way she is now.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31The vast majority of people would never dream of claiming more
0:23:31 > 0:23:34benefits than they're entitled to.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38A tiny number are not so honest, but they do have a big effect.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43Benefit fraud costs the UK taxpayer £1.2 billion per year.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47There are those determined to protect the public purse, though.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Across the UK, investigators are using surveillance stings
0:23:50 > 0:23:53to identify people who are abusing the system.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59Blackburn mum-of-seven Cleo Embley was one such person.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04We received an anonymous tip-off
0:24:04 > 0:24:08to the benefit fraud hotline for Cleo Embley.
0:24:08 > 0:24:14She was, at the time of the allegation in September 2011,
0:24:14 > 0:24:19in receipt of income support for herself and seven children.
0:24:20 > 0:24:21Yeah, it's here, yeah.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Income support is there to help people who are unable to work
0:24:26 > 0:24:27because they are sick or disabled,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31or people on a very low or no wage who have dependents.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36She was getting income support on the grounds that
0:24:36 > 0:24:40she was looking after her dependent children and couldn't work,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43and that she lived alone in a local authority house,
0:24:43 > 0:24:49for which she was receiving housing benefit of £75 per week.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Roy and his team at the Department for Work and Pensions
0:24:52 > 0:24:56contacted the local council to ask for their help in their enquiries.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02The details we had on her original claim form that were
0:25:02 > 0:25:05submitted to us, that she was a single parent,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07she wasn't working, she had dependent children,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10and that she was supposedly living at this address
0:25:10 > 0:25:13as a single parent on her own.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16So, on paper, everything looked above board,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19but Roy had been tipped off that something wasn't right.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26The allegation was saying that she had a partner living with her
0:25:26 > 0:25:29who was in gainful employment.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34If the allegation was correct, that she was living with a man who
0:25:34 > 0:25:38was working and could support her, this would mean that Cleo Embley
0:25:38 > 0:25:41was not entitled to the benefits she was claiming.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48So we did the usual background intelligence checks using
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Social Security Fraud Act powers to look at bank account statements,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56and checking with local authority records, schools
0:25:56 > 0:25:58and getting birth certificates,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01seeing who the father of the children were.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Our background checks gave rise to believing that
0:26:06 > 0:26:11the allegation in this case was potentially correct.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14But what they really needed was concrete proof that a partner
0:26:14 > 0:26:17was living with her and that he was working.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22In order for us to actually confirm for sure that she had
0:26:22 > 0:26:26a partner living with her, we conducted a period of surveillance.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Cases that try to prove a couple are living together
0:26:31 > 0:26:34are quite common, but are very labour-intensive.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37They can take months to reach a resolution.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Cleo Embley and her partner were under surveillance
0:26:42 > 0:26:44for a period of four weeks.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52During that time, we saw her partner leaving the house in the morning
0:26:52 > 0:26:55and at night-time, and also coming back to the house
0:26:55 > 0:26:57after a shopping trip,
0:26:57 > 0:27:02so they were behaving as a married couple,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05and he was going out to work.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09This provided Roy and his team with enough evidence to prove that
0:27:09 > 0:27:14Cleo Embley was living with someone who was working full-time.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17That meant the benefits she was claiming were illegal.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26In March 2012, police arrested Cleo Embley
0:27:26 > 0:27:28and she was brought in for questioning.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36When we went into the house on the day of the arrest,
0:27:36 > 0:27:42Cleo Embley said that her partner didn't live in the house,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45that he lived in the caravan at the side of the house,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48which was out of view from the street.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55This was news to us, so we videoed the caravan,
0:27:55 > 0:28:01and it was quite obviously not used for sleeping in.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04It was used more like a children's den.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07So they interviewed the suspected partner separately
0:28:07 > 0:28:09to get his side of the story.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13The partner subsequently gave us
0:28:13 > 0:28:16a witness statement saying that he'd lived
0:28:16 > 0:28:21as a partner for 15 years and they'd had seven children together.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25The authorities now had enough evidence to prove that
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Cleo Embley was cheating the system.
0:28:32 > 0:28:38Cleo Embley's status as a claimant was as a single parent,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40who had seven dependent children,
0:28:40 > 0:28:45and therefore was unable to seek work and was being paid income support
0:28:45 > 0:28:49on the grounds that she was looking after dependent children.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52In actual fact, we found that she was living with a partner,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55and the partner had had a series of jobs,
0:28:55 > 0:28:57both employed and self-employed,
0:28:57 > 0:29:02and was in a position to financially support her and the seven children.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06The team gathered the evidence and took the case to court.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14In court, she pleaded guilty to all three charges
0:29:14 > 0:29:18of section 111a of the Social Security Administration Act
0:29:18 > 0:29:21of failing to notify of a change in circumstances dishonestly
0:29:21 > 0:29:25by not mentioning the fact that her partner was in employment
0:29:25 > 0:29:27and was living with her.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30In total, Cleo Embley had cheated the taxpayer
0:29:30 > 0:29:35out of £94,000 in benefit payments she wasn't entitled to.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Money intended for people who really need it.
0:29:38 > 0:29:46At court, the judge was scathing of Cleo Embley's blatant fraud...
0:29:47 > 0:29:49..and gave an appropriate sentence
0:29:49 > 0:29:51according to the sentencing guidelines,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54sending her to prison for six months.
0:29:56 > 0:29:57She was sent to prison,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00leaving behind her seven dependent children,
0:30:00 > 0:30:05and this is a person previously of hitherto good character,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08so the judge really sent a strong message to other fraudsters
0:30:08 > 0:30:11that no matter what your circumstances
0:30:11 > 0:30:16or the fact that you've got a clean record in the past,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19if you steal money from the Government, and in her case,
0:30:19 > 0:30:24nearly £100,000, the right outcome is a custodial sentence,
0:30:24 > 0:30:26which is exactly what she got.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34In 2014, Cleo Embley was evicted from her home
0:30:34 > 0:30:37and has been disqualified from using social housing again.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44She's been ordered to pay back the money she owes to the state.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47It is being recovered, albeit on a very, very small
0:30:47 > 0:30:50and slow basis, but that money will be recovered.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53But it is a massive loss to the public purse.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00Ironically, Cleo Embley could have legitimately claimed other benefits
0:31:00 > 0:31:03from the state, such as Working Family Tax Credit,
0:31:03 > 0:31:05but her cheating has meant she's lost
0:31:05 > 0:31:07much more than she ever could have gained.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12As a family, they're saddled with an overpayment of £94,000.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21In Lincoln, a devious couple were stealing public money
0:31:21 > 0:31:26from people who legitimately claim it to fund their own lifestyle.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31Peter and Alison Childs' charity, which helped vulnerable adults,
0:31:31 > 0:31:32had come under scrutiny,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35following allegations that they had stolen benefit money
0:31:35 > 0:31:39from the very people they were supposed to be helping.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41This is the hub of where everything happened.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45This is the building we searched on two or three occasions,
0:31:45 > 0:31:48and where all the hundreds and thousands of documents came from
0:31:48 > 0:31:52that eventually sealed the Childs' fate.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54But those searches had found no bank statements,
0:31:54 > 0:31:58so DC McGill and her team had to get access to all of the Childs'
0:31:58 > 0:32:01personal and business bank accounts.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06We can't do that just by ringing the bank.
0:32:06 > 0:32:12We have to approach a Crown Court judge to ask him to provide us
0:32:12 > 0:32:15with an order to serve on the banks
0:32:15 > 0:32:19to allow them to hand the accounts to us,
0:32:19 > 0:32:22so that involved quite a lot of work.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24None of the money has been used to
0:32:24 > 0:32:26settle the bills of those service users
0:32:26 > 0:32:28and none of it has been returned to them.
0:32:28 > 0:32:29After two weeks John's
0:32:29 > 0:32:32team had their hands on the documents for all the Childs'
0:32:32 > 0:32:33bank accounts.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37There were thousands and thousands of pages of transactions over
0:32:37 > 0:32:39the course of five years.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45One of the main things I was looking for, cos they were taking so much
0:32:45 > 0:32:50cash off the service users, was cash going into those business accounts.
0:32:51 > 0:32:57So that they could pay the utility bills of the service users.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01And there wasn't any cash going into those business accounts.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09I think there were signs that Peter Childs knew that he had done
0:33:09 > 0:33:11something wrong because he would occasionally say,
0:33:11 > 0:33:13"This doesn't look very good, does it?"
0:33:13 > 0:33:16But then he would soon backtrack and become confident
0:33:16 > 0:33:20and make confident excuses as to why he'd taken cash.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28They were scamming the victims in a number of different ways, really.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32They'd taken cash as utility maintenance payments from
0:33:32 > 0:33:35the victims and then spent it upon themselves.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39There was also allegations that they'd taken
0:33:39 > 0:33:45part of some of the service users' disability living allowance.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48It was also where they'd been keeping
0:33:48 > 0:33:50the savings for the service users.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53And they'd taken that home, as well.
0:33:53 > 0:33:58It appears that they're lying to the service users about what
0:33:58 > 0:34:00they're going to do with this cash.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03And then they're taking the cash from them and using
0:34:03 > 0:34:07if for something else, which is fraud rather than straight theft.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13This was benefit money which belonged to the adults with learning
0:34:13 > 0:34:17disabilities who trusted the Childs to use it to pay their bills.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21But John's searches revealed other evidence of fraud.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27The investigation was going well.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30But at this point it started to snowball.
0:34:30 > 0:34:35We started to be able to put some figures to the allegations and
0:34:35 > 0:34:39it was quite clear that hundreds of thousands of pounds had been stolen.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45John's team notices lots of transactions to a company
0:34:45 > 0:34:47called Black Knight Security.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50A company that had been set up by Peter Childs.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55I added up all of the money that had been
0:34:55 > 0:34:58transferred from the MENCAP accounts
0:34:58 > 0:35:01to Black Knight Security.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03And it came to over £100,000.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09And there was absolutely no reason for MENCAP to pay that money
0:35:09 > 0:35:10to Black Knight Security.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12In fact,
0:35:12 > 0:35:16I couldn't find any evidence that Black Knight Security ever traded.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Although Mr Childs said it did in a very small way.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26It looked like this company had been set up as a way of transferring
0:35:26 > 0:35:30money from the charity to make it look legitimate.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36But in the accounts they discovered something even more shocking.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39A wage for someone that no-one had ever heard of.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43It turned out they were payments to Peter Childs' mistress.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45With whom he had a son.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49She told me she had worked at the Childs' home address looking
0:35:49 > 0:35:53after their horses and their dogs and general homecare.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56But she was being paid a wage.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00She was completely unaware this wage was coming from the charity MENCAP.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Not only did the evidence reveal the benefit money was being
0:36:06 > 0:36:08used to pay for Peter's secret family...
0:36:10 > 0:36:13..the Childs were also using it to fund their own lifestyle.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17They bought a holiday lodge and horses for their children.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24All that was left was to prove that Peter and Alison Childs knew that
0:36:24 > 0:36:29what they were doing was a deliberate act to defraud the charity.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33I think the business accounts certainly nailed them.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36When we interviewed them about those business accounts,
0:36:36 > 0:36:42we interviewed them about the signature of the auditor
0:36:42 > 0:36:47and Mr Childs said he didn't know who signed those accounts.
0:36:47 > 0:36:52In Alison Childs' second interview she admitted to
0:36:52 > 0:36:54signing off the annual accounts
0:36:54 > 0:36:56as the financial auditor
0:36:56 > 0:37:01and basically sign as David James who we later found out didn't exist.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Having admitted forging the accounts and with witness statements
0:37:06 > 0:37:09supporting the evidence, the police now had their case.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16This is one of the biggest cases that I've dealt with in Lincoln.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18It is a very big case.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21It's a serious case and one of considerable complexity.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27In November, 2012 the Crown Prosecution Service said
0:37:27 > 0:37:29police had enough evidence to charge both Alison
0:37:29 > 0:37:32and Peter Childs with fraud and theft.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38This was an exploitation by Mr and Mrs Childs...
0:37:40 > 0:37:44..of the vulnerable people who were members of the Lincoln MENCAP...
0:37:45 > 0:37:47..society.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51And it was also an exploitation by them
0:37:51 > 0:37:54of the business of Lincoln MENCAP, as well.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Because they were clearly taking money from the business
0:37:57 > 0:38:02of Lincoln MENCAP as well as from the service users.
0:38:02 > 0:38:03Some of them would have been aware
0:38:03 > 0:38:06but their level of understanding is limited.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Some of them wouldn't know the difference between £10 and £10,000.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13And I think that is why they were preyed upon in the first place.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19As a result of our investigation and what had happened here, the Lincoln
0:38:19 > 0:38:25MENCAP charity was disrupted and stopped functioning as a business.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27It's now closed down.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31The building itself has been taken over by another company.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37The bogus charity run by the Childs may be defunct but there
0:38:37 > 0:38:42are many more genuine organisations helping vulnerable adults.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46Of 400 grassroots, local organisations,
0:38:46 > 0:38:51all provide a range of services to individuals and families.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54The overwhelming majority of which is high quality
0:38:54 > 0:38:58support and makes a real difference to families in the here and now.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Unfortunately we still see negative attitudes towards people with
0:39:01 > 0:39:04a learning disability.
0:39:04 > 0:39:05It can range from bullying,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08harassment, right through to hate crime.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12So I think we and a number of other organisations do a good job
0:39:12 > 0:39:14supporting those individuals.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20I think it's important to remember the individual actions of
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Mr and Mrs Childs should in no way be taken as representative
0:39:24 > 0:39:28of the 400 organisations that work across the UK.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32The vast majority of those are staffed by hard-working,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35long-serving, dedicated support staff.
0:39:35 > 0:39:40It's important we recognise and remember the work they do
0:39:40 > 0:39:43and not focus on the actions of two individuals.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Which were about to be exposed for all to see.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56In January 2014 Peter
0:39:56 > 0:40:00and Alison Childs were brought to trial at Lincoln Crown Court.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06Peter Childs was charged with numerous theft and fraud offences.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10He pleaded guilty to one of the fraud offences initially.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11Not guilty to everything else
0:40:11 > 0:40:14and Alison pleaded not guilty to everything.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16Hence the start of a six-week trial.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24If the Childs had admitted the charges at this stage it would
0:40:24 > 0:40:28have avoided the cost of a trial with a jury at the crown court.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31All of which is paid by you and me, the taxpayer.
0:40:32 > 0:40:37Mr Childs was quite confident throughout. So was Mrs Childs.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42And it was only towards the end that they began to accept what
0:40:42 > 0:40:44they'd probably done.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51The court heard that in 2007 one couple with learning
0:40:51 > 0:40:55disabilities entrusted £43,000 of their savings to the Childs.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01You have to look at theft.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04Theft is theft but this is the worst kind of theft I think I've
0:41:04 > 0:41:06come across in 40 years.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09You have to look at the vulnerability of the victims
0:41:09 > 0:41:10in this.
0:41:10 > 0:41:15I don't think they have an awful lot in their lives.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18And what they did have, these people took it off them.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25In total the Childs defrauded their victims out of over £200,000.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28And were jailed for three years each.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33But the impact of this case remains.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36For families like Darren Leek and his mum, Janet.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43One of the youngsters did say to us,
0:41:43 > 0:41:47"If Pete had needed money, I would have given him it.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52"He didn't have to steal from me." And that's how they thought of him.
0:41:52 > 0:41:58I thought he was really a genuine person.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02I can't believe it, you know?
0:42:02 > 0:42:07That he's done it to all of us, the people.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10The pair of them were mean and calculating
0:42:10 > 0:42:12and a nasty piece of work, really.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16The Childs' assets were frozen in 2012.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20And in the autumn of 2014 a court will decide how much the couple have
0:42:20 > 0:42:24benefitted from their crimes and just how much they have to pay back.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31The trust issue is a big thing. Lincoln MENCAP ran like a family.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33All the victims and victims' families
0:42:33 > 0:42:36we spoke to were fully on board with Peter and Alison Childs.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38They treated them like members of their own family.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40They trusted them implicitly.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42So when this all came out
0:42:42 > 0:42:45and the investigation started it really hit them hard.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48It's left a scar on everybody.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51Cos these youngsters, who are they going to trust?
0:42:51 > 0:42:53They're not going to trust, are they?
0:42:53 > 0:43:00'Like I said to my son, "If you have a problem, go to Pete with anything."
0:43:00 > 0:43:03'He reminds me, "You told me'
0:43:03 > 0:43:04"he was wonderful, you know?"
0:43:06 > 0:43:10Normally your family believe you, don't they?
0:43:10 > 0:43:13We were wrong and everybody was wrong.